Open Up To Possibility

It is easier to live in fear at times it seems.  Trusting that our life will be provided for is often more difficult than we think it is.

Knowing that we are where we need to be on our path at this one moment in time, takes courage and faith.

Life is not meant to be given over to worry every day.  It is about searching our innermost self and becoming more aware and conscious.

It is about tapping into the source of unlimited abundance and knowing that as we find our way, everything will be there when we need it.

Trusting that we are connected to much more than we know is the key, so we open up to possibility.  Asking and seeking, we will find that which is greater than our own life.

Life is about stepping into our worries and fears, looking for that connection to all that there is.

It is about grasping courage by the hand and seeing the world through the eyes of a child.

It is about opening our heart up in service to the world, rather than shrinking in worry and fear.

The more we open up to all life has to give, the more we will find it.  The more we close our mind and heart, the more difficult our struggle.

It is in this moment that all the possibility exists in our life.  Let us open our eyes so we will notice, feel, and see everything that is in our existence at this moment in time.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

We all know this, right?  At least, we should know it.  Churches preach it all the time.  Children are taught this from their parents.  After all, actions speak louder than words.

Unfortunately if you watch the media these days, you will see plenty of examples of people who must have missed this lesson in life.  Maybe they were fast asleep in church or just got tired of hearing it from their parents.

I'm really so sick of people these days who go out and proclaim one thing, but practice something else.  They tear down others and belittle what other people do, but yet they are no better.  They don't practice something most of us learned, actions speak louder than words.

Take for example the politician that proclaims how great of a Christian he is.  He makes sure everyone knows this and he thanks God in his rallies and performs his prayers.  Yet, when it comes down to tactics to win an election, he really forgets that his actions speak louder than words.

You could also take for example the child molester who prays to God and makes it a practice to make sure others know how great and good a person he is.  Yet, he continues time and time again to molest children, even while proclaiming his faith and holier than thou attitude.  Their actions speak louder than words.

Before you think I'm just harping on churches, it is more than that.  Consider the community leader who wants everyone to be treated fairly and equally, but when it comes to those gays in every day life, they are calling for them to be obliterated from the face of the earth.  Their actions speak louder than words.

What about the business leader who greedily charges more than they should for some life saving product and yet they think somehow they are better than the imbeciles living on this planet.  Maybe they will donate some extra money to make it look like they are a good person, but again, they forget that actions speak louder than words.

Its easy to point the finger at others and proclaim how bad they are and how they are ruining the fabric of our society.  It is easy to point the finger at others and tell them what they should do and how we are the supreme authority on any given subject.  It is easy to point the fingers and stand high on our own pedestal while we look down on those we see as lower than ourselves.

In my view, if you're looking down on others, you're trampling upon them.  You are enslaving them to your will and taking away their will.  You're forcing your own narrow minded beliefs and ways upon them as if to say, you are smarter than any God, person, place, or thing in the universe.

Maybe if we kept in mind that actions speak louder than words, we could really begin to look at our actions and then align our words.   As a result, maybe we could just begin to treat others as human, not as less then our ego inflated self.

Actions say so much more than our words.  Actions show our true intent and what is in our heart.  We can trick and dupe people with our words, but our actions tell the real story.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2/4/16 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Have Faith Things Are Going To Change

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Every day we all wake up and struggle to put one foot in front of the other with no promise that at the end of the day, life will be any better. But you get up anyway. You keep breathing and hold on to faith that somehow, someday things are going to change for the better. Probably when we least expect it. - 1929 by M.L. Gardner

Faith That Things Will Change

Every day we all wake up and struggle to put one foot in front of the other with no promise that at the end of the day, life will be any better. But you get up anyway. You keep breathing and hold on to faith that somehow, someday things are going to change for the better. Probably when we least expect it. - 1929 by M.L. Gardner

A Disciple Named Peter

Continuing from the blog post on August 2, 2011 (Life Is Too Hard For Me), I am going to enclose the words of a song I once sang in church many years ago. While I very seldom sang solos in church, this is one that I did because the words meant a lot to me.

Please note that I am in no way pushing a particular religious view of who I think God is or any manner of church belief in this post. In fact, if anything, I am far from that premise. The words in this song tell an important story of dealing through difficult times (in my opinion).

Yes, I know it talks about Lord, save me, but I think that cry is uttered by people going through difficult times, just not in this context. We all cry out hoping for answers, longing for peace of mind and finding our way through things. I believe this is what this song is talking about more than it is talking about a faith in God. If I am incorrect, I will still defer to how the words impact my life without it being a religious context.

Song Title: A Disciple Named Peter
Author: Gale Eneberg
Source: Singspiration Folk Hymnal (c) 1978

Verse 1:
A disciple named Peter once walked on the water
- from a ship on a dark stormy night,
- He walked toward the master on top of the water
- But he started to sink, and he cried out in fright.
- "O Lord, save me!" and he cried out in fright,
- For he started to sink on that dark stormy night.

Verse 2:
Then the hand of the master saved him from the water
- Who had feared both the wind and the wave
- And the Lord said to Peter, on top of the water,
- "O why did you doubt, you of so little faith?"
- You will sink if you give into doubt
- But you'll stay up on top when your faith wins out.

Verse 3:
To walk on the water, to walk and not falter
- There is one certain thing you must do
- Keep your eyes on the master and not on the water,
- Don't look at the storm or you'll start to fall through.
- Walk in faith and you will not go down;
- But if you should falter, he won't let you drown.

Verse 4:
Now, like the disciple we find in the Bible,
- You can do the impossible thing;
- But if you should doubt, you'll never find out
- All the wonderful miracles faith can bring.
- You can do the impossible thing
- And see all the miracles faith will bring!


Further Reading:
1) Life Is Too Hard For Me (Blog Post Aug 2, 2011)
2) Don Shetterly (website)




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Step Of Trust Into Faith

Life has its synchronized moments where everything comes together at the right time, in the right place, and with the right people. When something that has been virtually impossible unfolds in a manner of seconds without any effort, this is a direct reminder of synchronicity.

For the past year or more, I have been trying to make something happen that I feel called to do. it seemed like every door had not just been shut in my face but slammed shut. Nothing was working and my income was not there. I felt pressured by people in my professional life when things were not happening. Most of all, I was just existing in life, not only financially but in life as a whole. I tried hard not to give up.

Finally after my moment of screaming out that I could not take this anymore, I vowed to the universe that no matter what my fears were, I would take a step of trust into faith that my path would illuminate before me. I knew that would be difficult for me but I also knew that if I was on the journey that I thought I was, all things would be there for me when I needed them.

This moment led to new things in my life and further self discovery. I took steps to learn something I was not normally open to previously. Through that learning moment, several new possibilities are unfolding. There was no way I could have seen or touched these possibilities.

And then, last night, the one thing I had give up on finally worked out in a matter of seconds. Of course, it is coming together in a different way than I imagined but again I will take a step of trust into faith that all things will work out as planned. For all we can do is show up, offer our evolving self and let the unknowns of the universe bring it all together.



Blog Post & Images (c) 2/28/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

That Which We Cannot See

I wonder if all cultures of humans are like the one I live in where if you can't prove it and see it, it doesn't exist. I come from a science background and so I am very skeptical of what I cannot prove. Yet, I experience things that seem to be out of the realm of possibility.

As a country and a world, many of our inhabitants believe in some unknown force that is only seen by having faith. We look to them as our creator, our life force and the entity responsible for all that happens. We often call them God, the universe, source energy or we give them a name that represents this word. Yet, has anyone seen this entity of faith with their own physical eyes?

Many claim to see this force of all existence and spirituality all around them. In fact, if you're trying to win an argument as to its existence, the one without faith would appear to be the loser. And in many new age alternative circles of thought, they subscribe to the same thinking but do so in a much different way with a different language.

Maybe as humans, these experiences are real and are needed for our lives. It may be that we all just have different concepts and views for this all encompassing force within us. For each one of us is different and unique in our own way, so why could our central force of our life not be different?

I'm sure each one of us would admit that there is something within us that gives a sense of something greater in our lives. This part of us that helps us strive to be more than we can be and connects each one of us together in profound ways. Down through the ages, so much has been written and passed on. This has attempted to allow each person to understand concepts that were beyond comprehension.

Often things happen and we as humans find no way to make sense of them. Tragedies, trauma and natural disasters give us little hope as we wrestle with our fears. When we can't find a way to hold life together in our minds, we look to the unseen forces to give us meaning. Many times we blame the unseen force because it is the only thing that makes sense to our lives.

My mind though begins to question that what happens in our lives and our world, is it no part of what is supposed to happen? Is it not normal experiences that occur just as the sunrise and sunset in any given day? It may be. None of us can say for sure.

Throughout history though, many texts and stories full of tradition and ritual have been used to give a sense of balance. They have become spiritual traditions to help us explain that which we cannot see. In fact, these spiritual rituals are so much a part of our society that we are barely able to truly see them for what they are.

There is a part of us, a consciousness if you will, that keeps moving us to greater awareness. We all move towards it at a pace that is appropriate for our lives. Sometimes we claim some casualties along the way. And for each person, we need to determine what this consciousness is within us.

In the process of our discovery, may we not define this spirituality as others proclaim to us, but by that which seems to resonate within us. Let our minds, bodies, and hearts guide us as we consciously become more aware of what we do not currently see in our lives. For the more we become aware, the more we truly become humans in spiritual bodies.


Photo by NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.


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Stepping Into

When I drew this chalk picture, I had no idea what I was about to create. Rarely do I sit down and draw anything because I just don't feel that is my area of expertise. So when I do sit down and draw, it usually takes me by surprise. This is a simple picture but it is jam packed with meaning and significance for my own life.

You see, many times throughout my own life, I've been afraid at what lies ahead. You could even say, I am at one of those moments right now. I am sure that I am not alone as others experience this as well. Often we do not talk about those fears and if we do, many around us quickly tell us to just live for today or go on about our lives and not worry. While there is some good intentions to that, this could short circuit this part of our life and hold us back in many ways. The fears are real, the people are real but the outcomes are what is important.

Often when we face that unknown darkness ahead, we sometimes spend so much time staring at it that we forget what lies behind us. All of the things that we have carried with ourselves up to this point gives us the strength, the courage and the determination to move forward. It is all part of us. It helps us find the footing when we step out into the unknown.

In the picture, the house depicts a sense of security, starting point, origin, and grounding for our lives. It is the safety point from which we emerge. It is the fortress from which we draw strength. It is the beginning point for moving forward. The terrain reminds us of how much we have overcome and how many difficult steps we have already taken. It is the reminder of all that we have accomplished when we begin to doubt ourselves. The tree is for bountiful sustenance and a further anchor to hold on to. It is the strength we see in many ways as we begin to step forward. The birds are there to remind us of the joys we do have in our life and the gratitude for all that we are. Behind the person looking into the unknown is the wind that comes along in our life. It is the people, places, knowledge, self discovery that propels us further. While it seems the wind is only to the person's back, it is helping propel the person and give them strength and energy to keep stepping forward.

Many times we have no clue what each step we take, will bring to our path. We just know where we have traveled from and so as we take a new step, we are reminded of all that there is in our life, to move in the direction we need to go. We have no need to push it or pull it or change it. We just need to take the step forward for taking the individual baby steps forward is what makes the unknown familiar to us.

Act With Faith

From Desk Of The Universe

Note: This is a daily email I get and this one seemed particularly good to me. Feel free to go to http://www.tut.com for more information.

Act with faith, [insert your name]. Prepare the way for your inevitable success. To the degree you can, behave as if your dreams have already come true, as if you already owned a Fabulous, fun filled life of adventure, as if later today you were going to learn once and for all to pursue my dreams!.

And you shall see the power you wield as the floodgates begin to tremble, the elements begin to conspire, people in your life begin to change, insights are summoned, comprehensions soar, and clarity is born.

Not to mention fierce, wild animals laying down when you pass by -
The Universe